Shake-up in race for Texas Ag Commissioner

State Rep. Brandon Creighton switched political gears Wednesday by announcing he would pursue a state senate seat rather than campaign statewide for Agriculture Commissioner.

Creighton, R-Conroe, who served as the chair of the Republican House Caucus this past legislative session, will be aiming for the seat being vacated by state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, who has said he will not return to the Legislature in 2015.

“I believe I can best serve my community and Texas by redirecting my focus to represent District 4 in the Texas State Senate,” Creighton said at an event Wednesday, according to a press release. “Southeast Texas is one of the fastest growing regions of our state, and I believe we need experienced, conservative representation from someone proven to deliver results.”

The Senate District includes Montgomery, Jefferson, Harris, Chambers, and Galveston counties.

To complete the shake-up, former state Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, who authored the controversial abortion sonogram law in 2011, announced in his hometown Thursday he will run for Agriculture Commissioner.

Sid Miller, R-Stephenville (courtesy photo)

Miller said Creighton contacted him a few weeks ago to gauge his interest in a run for the statewide seat, according to the Stephenville Empire-Tribune.

“(Creighton) told me he was thinking about getting out of the race to run in a special election for a seat on the Senate, and he said, ‘I don’t really like either of the other guys running and no one else does either.’”

The other two Republican candidates vying for the seat are Austin-based lawyer Eric Opiela and Uvalde Mayor J Allen Carnes.

Former independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman has announced he’s running as a Democrat for agriculture commissioner.